Key facts
- Alan Jones's defence barrister argued that grooming is typically associated with young children.
- The complainant testified that Jones, who is over 40 years older, engaged in secretive behavior and touching.
- Text messages with intimate and sexual content were presented as evidence of grooming.
- The defence suggested the complainant's explicit texts were inconsistent with being indecently assaulted.
- The defence raised the possibility of rivalry between Jones and Ray Hadley influencing the allegations.
In a Sydney court, Alan Jones's defence team has argued that his alleged victim, referred to as Complainant C, was not groomed because "grooming is something that happens to young children." Jones, 85, faces 20 indecent assault charges and two counts of sexual touching related to six men. Complainant C, who worked for Jones as a young man starting in 2008, testified that Jones, over 40 years his senior, engaged in secretive behavior and touching, including on the penis, which he described as grooming. The defence suggested that text messages sent by C to Jones, some with intimate and sexual content, were inconsistent with someone who had been indecently assaulted. Complainant C stated these messages were a result of being groomed for a decade to believe such communication was acceptable. The defence also raised the possibility that rivalry between Jones and fellow broadcaster Ray Hadley, who was reportedly seeking Jones's breakfast slot, may have influenced the allegations. Complainant C testified that he did not want to damage Jones and could have made the allegations public earlier if that were his intention. He also stated he did not consider Jones and Hadley to be rivals, though he knew they disliked each other. Jones, in a text message, expressed disappointment at "treachery" over the past 18 months, which C interpreted as a conflict involving Jones, Hadley, and radio station management.